A Comparative Study of Memory, Attention, Cognition and Oestradiol in Pre and Postmenopausal Women in Bangladesh

Memory, attention, and cognitive dysfunction are psychopathological conditions which most commonly occur after menopause. Different clinical studies revealed a shred of substantial evidence that oxidative stress and estrogen are interlinked in various cognitive dysfunction, including memory impairment, age-related dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. There is a higher chance of developing cardiovascular disease after menopause. Sharp declines in concentrations of circulating estradiol and estrone are associated with menopause. Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) enhances the blood circulation to the hippocampus and cortex, providing the optimum environment for the growth and survival of cholinergic neurons. Hence, it improves hippocampal neuron density and ultimately contributes to synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus enhances short and long-term memory. In this study, we assessed memory, attention, and cognition function between pre- and post-menopausal groups. After preliminary screening and applying exclusion criteria, fifteen premenopausal women and fifteen postmenopausal women were finally selected. Different neuropsychological tests such as logical memory test, digit span test, letter cancellation test, trail making test and Stroop test were performed to evaluate the memory, attention, and cognition status. Blood estradiol level was also assessed by using commercial kits. Significant difference (p<0.05) was found in LM-II in logical memory test, digit span test (backward), letter cancelation test, TMT-B in trail making test, the score of part C in stroop test between premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Serum oestradiol concentration (pg/ml) was significantly lower (p<0.001) in postmenopausal women (44.18±10.52) than premenopausal women (175.48 ± 43.20). The current study demonstrates the memory decline and cognitive dysfunction in postmenopausal women and there is a significant difference in estradiol level between pre and postmenopausal women. Estrogen has many neurotrophic actions in the brain and helps to improve memory and cognition. Therefore, estrogen replacement therapy, dietary supplements or a drug having an agonistic effect on estrogen receptors might improve the status of memory, attention, and cognitive function in postmenopausal women. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 24(1): 26-32, 2021

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The Effects of Acute Stress on Memory, Attention and Cognition in Healthy Human Volunteers

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal ◽

10.3329/bpj.v20i1.32088 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 14-19

Author(s):

Md Monir Hossain ◽

Shahnaz Naznin ◽

Dolly Sen ◽

Mahnaz Hossain Fariba

Keyword(s):

Acute Stress ◽

Digit Span ◽

Pharmaceutical Journal ◽

Stroop Test ◽

Healthy Human ◽

Logical Memory ◽

Human Volunteers ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Test Digit ◽

Trail Making

The study was designed to investigate the effects of an acute naturalistic stressor, namely, examination of stress on memory, attention and cognition in healthy human volunteers. Fifty-three students participated in this study. All the volunteers were assessed for their neuropsychological states, which are memory, attention and cognition, during non-examination and examination period. The neuropsychological tests used in this study were- logical memory test, digit span test, letter cancellation test, trail making test and Stroop test. It was revealed that there was significant difference (p<0.05) in the score of logical memory II, backward and total score of digit span, time taken to complete letter cancellation test and score in part C of Stroop test in the exam period. The present study thus demonstrated that acute naturalistic stress improves attention while impairs delayed memory retrieval and cognition.Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 20(1): 14-19, 2017

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Effects of estrogen on gender-related autonomic differences in humans

AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpheart.00256.2003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 285 (5) ◽

pp. H2188-H2193 ◽

Cited By ~ 131

Author(s):

C. C. Liu ◽

Terry B. J. Kuo ◽

Cheryl C. H. Yang

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Replacement Therapy ◽

Postmenopausal Women ◽

Estrogen Replacement Therapy ◽

Hormone Replacement ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Premenopausal Women ◽

Estrogen Replacement ◽

Conjugated Estrogen ◽

Frequency Power

Our previous studies demonstrated that premenopausal women have dominant vagal and subordinate sympathetic activity compared with age-matched men. This study was designed to investigate the role of estrogen in gender-related autonomic differences. We evaluated the heart rate variability of four healthy groups: agedmatched postmenopausal women without hormone replacement therapy (PM), postmenopausal women on conjugated estrogen replacement therapy (PME), men, and non-age-matched premenopausal women (PreM). Frequency-domain analysis of short-term and stationary R-R intervals was performed to evaluate low-frequency power (LF; 0.04–0.15 Hz), high-frequency power (HF; 0.15–0.40 Hz), the ratio of LF to HF (LF/HF), and LF in normalized units (LF%). No gender-related autonomic differences existed between the PM and men groups, but they did exist between the PME and men group. Compared with the PreM group, the PM group had a lower HF and higher LF% and LF/HF. Compared with the PM group, the PME group had a higher HF but lower LF% and LF/HF. These results suggest that conjugated estrogen replacement therapy may facilitate vagal and attenuate sympathetic regulation of heart rate in postmenopausal women. In addition, estrogen may play an important role in gender-related autonomic differences.

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